No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. 

— John Donne

We all have a desire to connect with people. Deep inside, we all know that we have this yearning for human connection… to talk to and share ideas with, to have a sense of belonging.No matter how confident we may feel at times, we still aim for some kind of validation from another human being.We like to be a part of something, be involved or participate in something.We all do. We are human after all.

I realize that moving to a new area is challenging enough, and it becomes even more challenging to start a venture not knowing anyone.If there was one thing that hides behind all the excitement of starting your own venture, it’s that feeling of isolation when you have all these big and exciting ideas running in your head, but you have no one to talk about it with, or collaborate with (except for my husband of course, but then again he would be supportive regardless of what I do). :)

We all have a longing for some deep connection.When we are happy, we want to share it with someone.When we’re faced with some challenges, it feels comforting to be around someone.Connecting is not just about being sad or being happy, it’s about every feeling and every thing we are going through in life.Some people may say, they would rather be alone when they’re struggling with something.However, I know deep down inside, they do want to be around someone.It just gets tough to open up sometimes, and that’s brought about by a lot of our own fears, so we choose to be on our own instead.It happens to many of us and It’s part of being human.

Having said all that, it’s NOT an easy task to connect.We get so wrapped up with our own fears, defense mechanisms, judgments and anxiety that it actually makes it harder for us to be genuine and be true to ourselves.We pretend we are better than others sometimes to make up for that true feeling of lack inside us.We pretend all is well in our world, yet deep inside us, there is some feeling of emptiness.It amazes me how we do that, but we all do, in some form or another.Imagine if everyone remains genuine and good-hearted?Imagine what kind of world we would live in, if everyone is connected and getting along?That would be truly something!

I heard from many people asking why not donate to charities instead of giving a piece of jewelry?At times, I second-guessed myself when I heard it.I think to myself, if that would actually make more of an impact or whether to continue what I’m doing.But then, I keep going back to my own story and I remember again how it felt to be so depressed, feeling empty inside and losing myself.I remember it all too well and that’s when I feel confident that this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing.I want to connect with those struggling from this debilitating illness.I want to give them a symbol of hope.I know how it feels to struggle each day, and if I can offer that string of hope for a day, if I can make a difference in one person’s life, then I’ve done my job.I prefer not to give money to research.There are already others who are doing that, and bless their hearts.I on the other hand, would want to connect with someone and let that person know, he or she is not alone, and that I know very well how it feels.

This is my purpose of connecting, to inspire someone when that need for hope becomes a true necessity. If that desire of feeling connected with someone is part of being human and we all want it, can you imagine those people who are feeling worse about themselves, and not because they are not strong enough – but it’s because they are suffering from a true illness that no one ever understands? They are the ones who really need it, more so than many of us. Bottom line is, we all need a connection with someone - and that's what makes us all part of the links! We all want it whether we admit it or not. It’s an essential part of us.No man is an island after all…